I got off to a late start this morning. Trudi is flying back from Geneva Switzerland to Louisville today. She arrives at seven. I was considering leaving tomorrow and having Stacie pick her up tonight. But after yesterday’s hot ride, I figured I needed a day off.
Yesterday, five of us rode over to Lawrence on gravel. It was in the lower 90s and super humid. One of those days it’s almost impossible not to melt. I felt way better than I did last Monday doing the same ride, but it takes it out of you.
So I decided this morning to pack up and get moving. Tucker saw me packing and got all stressed out. By the time I had most of our stuff in the van, Tucker was nearly in a frenzy.
Right when I was ready to leave this morning, my neighbor, who is 90, came and told me she couldn’t open her garage door to move her car. I didn’t really have the time to fix it, but I went over and gave it a try. It wasn’t that hard of a fix, it only took me 20 minutes. 20 minutes that I didn’t really have.
It’s close to nine hours to Louisville from Topeka. And I only have 8 1/2 to get there. Another snafu on the drive, was after I started there was a cat in the van. Fran, decided she wanted to go on the trip. I was only half a mile from home when I realized she was there.
I received a few emails yesterday about the Citerium National’s course in Louisville. Guys were saying it was super dangerous. I’ve even been offered other rider’s slots. I don’t think that’s how works. Anyway, today they changed the course. I think they didn’t want to repeat the crashfest at Masters nationals.
Here’s the official announcement –
Due to the overwhelming interest and the number of participants entered in the criterium (crit) component of USA Cycling’s 2016 Road National Championship, the original crit course in Norton Commons cannot safely handle the number of riders in several age groups. The new crit course will be located in Shawnee Park, one of Louisville’s signature Olmsted Parks. The wide roadways inside the Shawnee Park and bordering the park will provide a safe and challenging national championship course.
I posted this from my phone, while driving, so forgive the horrible errors.
Kind of a mess. A couple set screws were loose, so a pulley spun.
Fran nearly took a road trip.
Catherine melted yesterday. Here she is sitting on the floor of a Quicktrip in Lawrence.
Tucker’s driving position.
Were you stoned when writing this? I read the first paragraph 3 times and it still makes NO sense.
Thanks Steve for taking care of your neighbors malfunctioning door.
1st things 1st,Tucker-Gramma,then all that other stuff that always piles up.
Ya done good today kid
Sully
Kudos to you for your 20 minutes. I work at a CCRC and sometimes on my way out (in a hurry) somebody needs someone to talk to. After I stand there and listen to them (thinking about needing to get on my way) my own worries seem trivial.
Where did you see this announcement?
“No cyclists were harmed posting while driving”®
your first sentence…. lol lol lol lol….
Oh. I thought that was a picture of USA Cycling’s decision making machine.
You’re posting while driving??!?! Man, you’re exactly the kind of inattentive driver than runs over cyclists. YIKES.
Goddammit….you’re also one of those turds that texts and drives? I am relegated to mostly gravel these days because of the lines of you. I have ersonally have been first on the scene at three horrible wrecks now from texting drivers, two of them with critically injured people.
That is really kind of you to help your neighbor! Your first paragraph makes perfect sense.
Guys – I was posting hands-free with a headset. And, I haven’t seen any cyclists riding on the interstate highways so far.
Like we needed to know:
#1 it is hot
.#2 this has killed you
#3 you are late
#4 you are an alturistic god
#5 inside info & bam you in the show
#6 this is if you can make it wo killing yourself or somebody else
James:
1. Stop reading and go somewhere else
2. ???
3. Profit!
Perfect instructions for a troll.
good job on helping your neighbor.
Oh no, best boy loves dog comedy out there. Sorta like Beaver races a bike, grows old with Lassie. Plenty of crashes, drugs & drama. Perfect!
Troll…ouch!
Have seen or heard nothing from usacycling about the crit. Thanks for the heads up!
Steve, with all the negative comments lately, I would just like to say thank you for posting something almost every day. Your blog seriously is a nice distraction from the daily grind, and I look forward to reading about your adventures. Keep it up!
To all the assholes that feel the need to pick Steves posts apart, if you don’t like what the blog has to say, why the fuck are you wasting your time and energy reading something that clearly irritates you? Don’t you have anything better to do with your day than constantly post negative comments? Steve has one of the few blogs for cyclists to read that is current, and someone clearly tries to piss him almost daily. So what if he is chronically late or fatigued? At least it gives our community something to read daily that we can relate to. Im sure the people posting the consistent negative comments will be the first ones crying when this blog ceases to provide new reading material.
Fuck off, Love C
Ha, ha , ha, Steve figured he needed a day off…….oh well. Won’t touch that. But Steve, always make time for your elderly neighbors when they need help. In a few years when you’re their age, you’ll appreciate getting help with things.
Seems as though the grind is getting to ya? Lighten up dude. We all love Tilly’s positive vide, sense of what’s gray & what’s black & white & sportmanship ideals :-))
chris, i like reading steves posts. i was told about this blog a few years ago.. as new cyclist, i was interested in hearing about a mt bike hall of famer and i was really wanting o hear about workouts.. being new, all i did was ask read and look at web pages.. after a few years, and i asked steve a few times about workouts, intervals, motorpacing and i got no reply, but smart ass replies from his followers saying get a coach or just ride.. lol.. steve raced for a ton of top teams and i was just curious on what 1 team vs the other did in training,. how the belgiuns trainned for their kermesse races.. so i do come here and hope for some info on training.. nothing yet, but maybe.. i do notice the last few years reading his blog , hes always late an forgetful… to me, and this is just my opinion, hes very unorganised for a 40 year pro.. it is a public forum, so i just give my honest opnion on how i see it.. so dont get all bent out of shape when followers dont agree with him and call those trolls.. lol.. chill chris….all do are 10 and 15 mile time trials.. thats why i ask steve abot tt…i’m stuck at 33:xx for my 15 miler.. be nice to hear from a 40 year pro on what all they did for tt improvements
Mr. Crumble Bee,
Time trialing really isn’t bike racing. Its an entire different animal. We should all practice it but really isnt necessary for mass start racing. Im sure ST is pretty good, but not his specialty. Remember he drops out of alot of races when he could of dug in and caught on if he was good at it. Im interested in Steves option on the great Brittish TT specialist Michael Hutchison. One year he won 4 national championships. 4K pursuit, 10ml TT, 25ml TT, and either the 50 or 100 ml TT. I can’t remember anymore. I know he puts up mind blowing times, always 30+mph for what ever distance. But couldnt win a marquee race. Better to train for shorter TT’. That r more applicable to racing. Such as all out 3,5,10 minute. Thats the power outputs u wanna b at to close a gap, chase down a break, or separate yourself from a group.
Thats the facts jack
Case DISMISSED!
Sillypuddy OUT!
Mike,
By now you’ve hopefully learned this is a comedy channel & not the place for training methodology?
Christy,
Browsky, your stressin. I think u need 2 go out for a bicycle ride and then maybe turn in early after a warm glass of milk. I mean really, u sound like woman defending her man. U go girl. I bet u sleep naked with your Steve Tilford bobble head that u ordered through the mail, but should up late! Well gotta go sweet cheeks
Case DISMIIIIISED
Sillypuddy OUT!
Who let the trolls loose?
sillypuddy, wtf kind of nationality are you? lol… ayway, i looked at michael hutchison…… damn!!!!!
Personal bests 10 miles – 2012 – 17m 45s 25 miles – 2012 – 45m 46s 30 miles – 2011 – 55m 39s 50 miles – 2008 – 1h 35m 27s 100 miles – 2010 – 3h 23m 04s 12 hours – 2000 – 293.23mls
What nationality? America! Thats right, 2 time defending World War Champs. And yes, Hutchison is a physical specimen. I believe one of his 50Ml NC was in 100°weather. Interstingly he came into the sport late, in his twenties. He was seriously overweight and started riding to get healthy. Low and behold, when it came to his VO2 Max, he was given the gold card. Not like Chris, he was given the Dollar General Card. Chris is probably still in the bath tub playing with his Steve Tilford and Tucker bobble heads. Anyway, enough about Angry Chistine. Whats amazing about MH is the fact he delivers at both ends of the power spectrum; 4K, or 100mile. AND he has Phd. In law from Cambridge University to boot. C u turkies later
Sillypuddy OUT!
Sillypuddy,
You make Chris’s point perfectly, “Browsky.” Glad men like you weigh in and let the rest of us know how it is. Oh, that’s your Mom calling from upstairs in the kitchen. Trash needs to go out.
sillypuddy, amazing michael hutchinson won a 4k and a 160k in the same year.. thats some serious tallent…i can go 1-2 miles @his 100 mile pace… hes unreal…i live outside indy and watcing these cat 1-2 crits, these guys dont even go in an hour what michael hutchinson does for 100 miles. and in thise crits theres 20-40 different guys at the front hamering… wonder if steve tilford has ever raced against him? or knows of him…
No Kim, thats your mom calling. I guess I’ll go upstairs and do her missionary for once. She doesn’t anything better to do,…and bored. She ain’t the looker she was. So I’ll have to knock back a couple few Nati-Lites. Kimmy this is 2 EZ,(like your mom). Can’t make out what she’s yelling right now. I think she wants me to go to KFC and get her a bucket of chicken first. There is nothing sexier than your moms toothy greasy smile. I use her snagle tooth to open up my beers. Bout all shes good for. The only reason i do her is because she served our country durring the Civil War. Well ken, pasta la pizza baby
Case DISMISSED
Sillypuddy OUT
I am sure you are aware, but Michael Hutchinson has written some rather good yet eccentric books on time trialling (check Amazon), and is currently also writing a column for Cycling Weekly. Also worth following on Twitter for giggles.
Haven’t really followed him since around 2005, but he is an amazing physical machine. He is one of those “what if” personalities. Who knows wha he could have done if he went through the juniors developmental program. I knowhe attempted the hour record in the standard bicycle configuration a few years back but failed. I think he was averaging 35mph on his drops for anout 40 min. Before dropping out. Crazy genetics.